


Blame

by ClaraCivry (Kat_Of_Dresden)



Series: Protective Clarke and hurt Murphy [3]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Murphy is scared, Post 3x07, Protective Clarke Griffin, Titus is pinning everything on Murphy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-06
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2018-05-25 04:41:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6180535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kat_Of_Dresden/pseuds/ClaraCivry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Titus is blaming the Commander's death on Murphy. </p><p>But this time, someone is defending him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blame

Murphy was cuffed, again, gagged and beaten. He didn't know where he was.

When he woke up he was in some sort of public square, many faces looking at him, all the grounders in Polis seemed to be watching him. He had his hands tied behind his back, behind a wooden pole. He was tired of waking up in strange places, not knowing what tortures were coming his way. He was coming of being hurt, hated, used, tired of all the pain. All the violence. It had been made him happy, once upon a time. He enjoyed aggression. Now, he just wanted to be able to live in peace. Relative peace, at least. No more torture. 

Titus was there, too, eyes closed, meditating. Murphy wanted to fight his bonds, but he was too weak. He'd been unconscious or being tortured for the most part of the last days, and could hardly remember when was the last time he ate. He wanted to do something, fight against what was inevitably coming, but couldn't. Titus was going to win, and he was going to be executed for the Commander's murder. 

Punished for something he didn't even do. Used to place blame. They would chant for his death, ask for his execution, like the 100 had done after Well's death. The last thing he'd see would be the faces of people who were happy because he was dying. There was a part of him who felt that he deserved this, all of the agony. Ever since he was a kid and got his dad killed, he'd been no good. Not deserving of happiness. He simply hoped they wouldn't hang him again, but he suspected that a Commander killer wouldn't have a pretty, pleasant death. 

He looked at the villagers with desperation, with pleading eyes. He couldn't help but hope that he could get out of this, somehow. He wanted to tell them that it hadn't been him, that he'd got caught in the middle of it, that he had nothing to do with that death. But who would listen to him? Who would believe the word of a good for nothing thief? Nobody. His was worthless, much like himself.

Titus was saying something in grounder but he only understood parts of it. Emori had taught him bits, and there were things that were similar to regular English, so now he could more or less get what the conversation was about, but still. He imagined that he was saying that he'd killed the Commander, that he was a thief who deserved the worst of deaths. He probably did. He'd been too lucky this far and wasn't meant to live any longer. Perhaps when he was dead, he could finally rest, get away from a world that hated him. With a bit of luck, he'd see his dad again. 

Not that he ever had luck.

No, that would be too nice. And that was John's tragedy, he had nice things for a little while, just enough to realize how great they were, and then they were taken away from him. For good. His dad, being Bellamy's second, Emori. It all ended too soon, so he'd always remember what he was missing. That the bad parts were long and consuming and the good parts simply didn't last. 

Titus had a torch in his hand. Shit. Murphy was no stranger too pain, in fact, he'd become intimately acquainted with it, but being burned alive? This was going to hurt like a bitch. He closed his eyes, his breathing hitching. Tried to think of a happy memory. Watching his dad work. Being in the cave with Emori. And.... That was it, mostly. Murphy didn't have a lot of happy memories, if he was honest. He felt he was being hung again, and it hurt. A lot. 

One lone tear rolled down his cheek and an old villager woman felt a pang of sadness, of guilt. Somehow, she couldn't imagine this bruised boy to be the Heda's killer. He looked as if he hardly maintain his eyes open, and she couldn't help but think of her son. He'd stolen things, too, even if she had told him that it was too dangerous. Food, supplies. Things they could never afford any other way. He was a bit of a crook, but didn't deserve death because of it. And this boy, who they were told was the great Commander's murderer, this boy with big eyes, so bright from unshed tears, so imploring... What reason could this injured boy have to kill the Commander? How had he got to her? There was something she didn't like about this whole situation. Bernya had lived long enough to know that there was something wrong with that picture.

The fire was getting closer to his face and John gulped. This was it, this was the end, this was...

“STOP!”

It was Clarke, with Octavia, marching to him, and they looked angry. 

“Let him go!” Clarke bellowed. “You're about to execute an innocent man!”

There were some gasps and people talking among each other. 

“Wanheda is just trying to save her friend!” Titus said. “Lexa was killed with a Skaikru weapon.”

“Well then, tell us, Flamekeeper, why did he kill the Commander?”

“He was probably an assassin, sent by your people.”

“We didn't want Lexa dead! She was the only thing keeping our people from being slaughtered.” Octavia said. This whole thing was stupid. “Besides, we didn't even know he was alive, we hadn't seen him for months. This is not the killer you're looking for.”

Bernya smiled encouragingly at the boy while Clarke continued.

“And if he is an assassin stealthy enough to get into the Heda's room with a weapon without being noticed, how did he get all these open wounds? Titus is offering you a false culprit so you'll be angry at us, but this man had nothing to do with any of this – not with Lexa's death, not even with the killings of your army and village. He was living away from us, and was found and tortured by Titus who meant to use him to start a war.”

There was a tumult of voices, some calling for fire, others calling for justice and truth. 

“I know him!” A voice from the crowd said, louder than the others. She hadn't been sure at first, but now that she was closer, Petrka recognized that face, the eyes. “He was there when eighteen people of our village were killed. But he didn't hurt us, he – he tried to stop the one called Finn, defended us, said that we could have scavenged the Skaikru objects we had. He wanted to leave without hurting us, got angry when the other one started shooting. It was probably thanks to him that the other one didn't kill all of us. I do not believe that boy is an assassin -he wanted to avoid conflict, save himself and us.”

There was a louder murmur now between the Polis inhabitants. The word of a Skaikru leader was questionable, but why would a woman form one of their villages defend a thief if it wasn't the truth? This was starting to look like a setup, and the kru members didn't appreciate being deceived by their leaders. Not at all. 

Murphy breathed, relieved and nodded at the grounder girl, as tears fell freely from his eyes. He had a chance. Even in the last minute, he had a chance of making it. Of not being burned alive, of being exonerated for something he didn't do. 

“Blaming Murphy is just an attempt to turn more hatred in our direction. And I know that you have many good reasons to hate us, but he isn't part of any of this. If you really want justice for your commander, you will let him go!” Octavia said. She wasn't the biggest fan of Murphy, but the people needed to know the truth. 

“Let him speak!” Someone asked in the crowd. Other voices joined the first one. 

Some rogue guards appeared on the square and took the gag off his mouth, as Titus grimaced. This was not going as planned. He wished he'd killed Clarke when he had the chance, she was to blame for everything. 

“What do you have to say for yourself?” The guard asked Murphy after he removed the gag.

“He knocked me out after torturing me.” Murphy said, pointing at Titus face still wet from tears, voice shaking a bit. “When I woke up I was tied, and he had my gun. He - he said he was going to kill Clarke and blame it on me, so your Commander would declare war on Skaikru. I didn't even know her! I was out of camp for months, like Octavia said. I didn't do it. I- I just want to leave. Please, I didn't do it, I have nothing against you.”

There was some more fighting, but eventually it was decided that Murphy was to be set free and Titus was to be held in a cell until what had happened became clearer. 

Clarke and Octavia undid Murphy's binding and he fell onto Clarke, who held him carefully, all his limbs screaming, trying to contain his relieved tears. 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you...”

Clarke held him for support, looked into his still bruised eyes.

“It's okay, Murphy. We won't make the same mistake again.”

“Let's get out of here.” Octavia said. 

The three of them started walking away, slowly, but with heads held high. 

They would deal with the problems Lexa's absence would cause later. 

Together.

**Author's Note:**

> Please do leave feedback! It means a lot ^^


End file.
